I didn't really want to confuse the issue with thick/thin ring gears, modified cross shafts, etc. Currently there are 4 ratios that I'm aware of that will fit the 3.73 and down carrier Dana 44, but if you ever wanted to go to a 5.38 or 5.89 ratio, you'd need a new carrier, so I just went the least confusing route

in general which is stronger/preferred? the "thick" sound like should be stronger??

Quote:

Originally Posted by PavementPounder

Thick/thin doesn't affect the teeth. The additional material is on the bottom of the ring (opposite side of the teeth).

The "thick" gears are to be used with a lower series carrier. Some differentials require a new differential to position the ring gear closer to the pinion (as the pinion head gets smaller for numerically higher gear ratios and thus moves away from the ring gear surface). The "thick" gears allow you to use the same carrier by using the extra material on the bottom of the ring gear to move the tooth side of the gear closer to the pinion.